Crime in the

Media
A case study on television
shows
Sociology 120

What is the
purpose of the
show?
Dexter works for the Miami Metro
PD as a blood spatter analyst
He is a devoted father, brother,
husband, and friend
In his spare time, he enjoys
golfing, boating, fishing, and killing
people
Dexter is a serial killer who targets
criminals who have escaped the
justice system
The show is based around Dexter
trying to keep his dark side a
secret from those around him,
while still fulfilling his own need to
kill

How is crime represented

in the show?
Negatively: We see how acts of crime effect the victims, the police, and the world around us
Casually: Ridding the world of criminals is just a regular part of Dexters life. Its how he feels
normal.
Examples of street crimes, organized crime, and political crime

How might the media

skew statistics on
Crime?
Statistically, crime
rates are dropping

Shows such as Dexter

need a new story
every episode
New episode means
new criminal act
Make is seem as
though major criminal
offences take place
every day,
everywhere

How does television

impact the publics
perception of crime?
It depends on who is
doing the crime
Dexter is a serial killer,
but he is seen as good
The other criminals in the
show are the ones that
deserve to pay for what
they have done
There is a time and a
place for justice to be
served

How could the

media/television
perpetuate crime?

In the case of Dexter, they make is look

easy.
Many shows demonstrate how criminals go
wrong (messy work, etc.)
He has never been officially caught, and
has only been suspected a few times
Anyone could be a criminal
What sets us apart from these people?

Criminal Justice
System

What does in include?

The Police

The Courts

Prison

The Police
They are the concrete extension of
the State to provide for social order
Maintain peace in the community
How are all the functions tied together?
Authority
Non-negotiable force
Discretion

The Courts
They decide the guilt or innocence of
those accused of committing a crime

Punishment- any action designed to

deprive a person of things of value
(including liberty) because of some offense
the person is thought to have committed

Prison
The functions of a prison:
Retribution (Imposes a penalty on the offender)
Social Protection (He or she cannot commit crime
anymore)

Rehabilitation (Return offenders to the community

as law abiding citizens)
Deterrence (Reduce criminal activity by instilling a
fear of punishment)

Restorative Justice
To seek to return the focus of the justice
system to repairing the harm that has been
done to the victim and the community
To reconcile offenders with those they have
harmed
Circle Sentencing Used in aboriginal
communities, bringing the offender, the victim
and the community together
Family Group Conferencing for young people
linked to the victim and the family members
Community Corrections- responsibility for
correction back to the community and minimizes
the separation of the offender from society

Crime & Deviance in the

Future
The present system cannot solve the problem
of crime
Need more structural solutions like:
Better educational solutions
Affordable housing
More equality
Less discrimination
Socially productive activities